I am in the process of creating a time line for the book study, which I will share with you soon. In the meantime, please read chapter 1 only and respond by Sunday, Jan. 31. We will get more specific w/discussion questions, but for this chapter, respond as you feel appropriate. What are you already doing? What ideas come to mind? Maybe YOU have a question to pose.
Oh, and be sure to read what the others are writing. Feel free to comment as well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
On the subject of personal selection of book choice, I whole-heartedly agree with Atwell. Stock your classroom libraries, read what the kids read so you know what to suggest, lead them to great books and they will begin to develop a passion for reading. I know this - it happens in our classrooms every day at PCMS. What Atwell doesn't compromise on is to allow room for whole novel instruction of a GREAT book. Atwell assumes that novels in the classroom (classroom sets) are boring and that it's not fair to make every child read the same book. She also believes that children will lead themselves to the classics-the great works of literature produced by Salinger, Hemingway, and Austen. I disagree with both of these points. If the novel sets in the classroom actually are boring, change them! Write a rationale for acquiring better novels for use in the classroom. My students did not like "My Brother Sam is Dead" - it's been in the 8th grade curriculum for almost two decades. It's also at a 5th grade reading lexile. I begged to get rid of it and was granted permission, after my rationale was approved, to add "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson. Our novel unit was greatly improved because the book was changed. Don't kill the novel unit just because the literature is sub-par. Change the book!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Atwell on most issues although she begins to sound like an extremist when she says, "open the door of an American elementary classroom during reading time, or a high school English class at any time, in search of the authentic pleasures of the reading life. What you're likely to find are teachers talking and children listening...-everything but reading a good book." (p.15-16). As a teacher who has spent the better part of two years stocking a classroom library, reading only adolescent literature, and conducting reading/writing research that makes my head hurt, I do kind of take offense at that remark. Our students at PCMS DO read good books and we don't necessarily give fill-in-the-blank worksheets, or make our students take copious notes as we lecture (does anyone lecture?). We may, however, study vocabulary as it pertains to our unit (our lower readers need help in this area because they don't have the same common background knowledge as our higher readers), and we may have small group discussions, and yes, our students may be required to write a report or two - as far as I know, we haven't killed the passion for reading because of these instructional strategies.
One last comment, the clock is ticking - In a true readers' workshop according to Atwell, there is no responsibility piece attached. There are no sticky notes, no double-entry journals, no projects, no discussion questions, and no tests. The teachers talk to the students about the books and they listen to the students. This sounds perfect to me although again, we are faced with that crazy time crunch of speaking to 28 students, meaningfully, and with interest, without forever glancing at the clock.
I don't want to commit "read-a-cide" for my students, as author and reading researcher Kelly Gallagher puts it, and to ask a student to create a sticky note about character, setting, or whatever, for the pleasure book that he/she is reading would be killing the passion of reading.
I believe that we do not have to choose between student-choice books and teacher-led novel instruction, we have both now and it's pretty much an almost perfect world. Compromise Nancie, compromise.
Gina, let us know what you think about Chapter One - I want to hear your views as well.
Gina,
ReplyDeleteThat would be very helpful if we did have a syllabus for the book study; thank you for making one. I think it will helpful and appreciate the time you're giving.